The Portland daily press., 1887-04-06
FROM ABROAD.
The Land Sill Considered In the
House Of Commons.

LONDON, April 5.-The land bill which ac-
companies the coercion bill has already been
introduced by Lord Codogan. Although, in
introducing it, he did not refer to provisions
regarding the purchase Of land. the bill con-
tains ten such clauses, chiefly for simplify
ing purchases in the interest Of landlords
and mortgages. The Land Commission is
empowered to advance the entire purchase
money, which must not exceed 1000 to any
one purchaser. II landlord manages to
sell a boycotted farm the commission is en-
powered to compel the sheriff to put the
buyer in possession.
In the House Of Commons today, Right
Hon. Henry Chaplin, Conservative member
for the Sleaford division of Lincolnshire,
defended the bill. The land laws which the
Radicals now condemn, he said, were passed
while Mr.. Gladstone was at the head of the
government. Mr.. Chaplin asked Mr.. -Glad-
stone, not as Liberal, not as a politician
merely, but as an honest man, to disown be-
fore Ireland and the world the doctrine Of
sheer plunder now preached in Ireland Il
there was any robbery in connection with
the present land system Of that country, the
author of it was Mr.. Gladstone. IL was he
who fixed the rents of Ireland under the
solemn guarantee that they should remain
unaltered.
Sir Charles Russell (home ruler tainted
Mr. Chaplin on the consistency with which
ne opposed every measure for the benefit of
the Irish tenants. He asked whether the
government had received a mandate from the
country in favor of coercion. Statistics he
said, proved that Ireland at present was
freer from crime than England, and freer
than any other country in Europe (eheers),
He then proceeded to dissect the bill, con-
demnIng the powers given magistrates. de-
clarlng that the change of venue of trials
could never be enforced, and denouncing the
general character Of certain clauses which,
he said, were so elastic as to confer unmeas-
ured powers for suppressing individual
rights.
The House of Commons is practically TAX
ing weeks holiday, so many members are
pairing. The government insists that the
debate on the Irish criminal law amendment
bill shall proceed, but will postpone a divi-
sion on the bill till the 10th. The Conserva-
tive whips retain enough members to keep
their majority secure in order to prevent a
surprise.
The second reading of the Irish Crimes
bill was formally moved in the House OF
Commons yesterday afternoon, by Mr.. Bal
four Chief Secretary for Ireland. Sir Bern
hard Samuelson, Gladstonian member for
Banbury division Of oxfordshire, moved an
amendment, and said that the bill would, IL
passed, increase disorder in Ireland and en-
danger the union and empire, and therefore
should be rejected.
Russia's Military Ambition.
ST. PETERSBURG, April 5.-General Kom-
aroff's Zyet, the Russian military organ,
says the work Of the Anglo Russian frontier
commission is not likely to lead to any use
full result and adds; Force Of circumstan-
ces will inevitably impel Russia, sooner or
later, to move forward into the oasis left to
the Afghan, until she reaches her only nat
ural and proper frontier, the Hindoo Koosh
mountains"
Still Prince In the Hearts of His
People.
SOFIA. April 5.--Today being the 30th an
niversary Of the birth of Prince Alexander,
of Battenberg, every town in Bulgaria and
every branch Of the Patriotic League sent
congratulations to him.
Foreign Notes.
Josiah Caldwell of Telegraph street, Lon
don. has failed. The liabilities are believed
to be enormous. He failed once before for
million.
A despatch from st. Johns says that there
is now no doubt whatever Of the loss Of the
sealing steamer Eagle.
A syndicate of Belgian and English finan-
ciers has offered the Chinese government
loan Of 935. 100000 repayaole in ten years for
the construction of 1850 miles of railroad
partly from Nankinto Pekin and partly from
Canton.
The st. Lawrence river at Montreal has
fallen rapidly since Saturday and the fears
Of a flood are almost dispelled
Advices from Honolulu report that iindica-
tions of another eruption of the Mouma Loa
volcano were noticed sixteen days ago.
The Strasbourg papers report an increased
expulsion Of French sympathizers. The
searching Of houses for compromising d0cu-
ments is also being more vigorously prose-